Manatee Calf and Sunfish

Manatee calves are just TOO CUTE! The hardest thing is sorting through all the preciousness when picking out photographs to post. This little manatee calf is lit by strong, low sunlight filtered through the trees. Algae is stuck to its snout and the calf is accompanied by a bream or sunfish, Lepomis spp. The bream pick bits of detritus off the sea cows. Manatees inhabit shallow waters all along Florida's costal and intracostal waterways. Being very curious creatures they investigate their environment often while floating and exercising their prehensile snout, as this manatee is doing. This is a peek at an undisturbed, natural behavior while this manatee winters in the freshwater springs. Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, endangered. Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Kings Bay, Crystal River, Citrus County, Florida USA. IUCN Red List: Endangered. USFWS implemented downlisting to Threatened 2017: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22106/0. Taken under USFWS SUP Permit